A vehicle, such as a car, normally comprises a bonnet which is openable in order to allow access to the engine compartment, e.g., for maintenance. At the front of the vehicle there are one or more bonnet latches for locking the openable bonnet in a closed state. The bonnet latch connects the bonnet to the vehicle body when in the closed state. The location of the bonnet latch/es is/are preferably adapted to the dimensions of the vehicle model. If using one bonnet latch, it is usually placed at a location corresponding to the centre of a front region of the bonnet. If two bonnet latches are used, they are normally located at locations corresponding to the front portion of the lateral edges of the bonnet. It is also possible to use a plurality of bonnet latches, which may be distributed over locations corresponding to the front region of the bonnet.
When the bonnet of the vehicle is closed, it should be securely latched in its closed state in order to prevent the bonnet being opened by relative wind and vibrations during operation of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the event of a collision, the bonnet should be deformed in a predeterminable manner. It is therefore important that the bonnet latch structure is capable of retaining the bonnet in the closed state during the collision.
The front part of a vehicle may be constructed in different ways. It is known to use a so-called soft-nose configuration. The soft nose is often constructed from a thermoplastic, which partially may serve to mitigate the consequences of a collision with a pedestrian. In a soft-nose vehicle a soft nose panel meets the bonnet of the vehicle at a more rearward position than for a standard-nose vehicle, wherein the bonnet meets the grille at the front of the vehicle.
Document EP 2 045 146 A1 discloses a bonnet latch structure for a soft-nose vehicle. The vehicle comprises a soft-nose outer skin panel and a bonnet providing an overlying structure for a grille opening reinforcing front cross member. The front cross member supports at least one bonnet latch carried by a member protruding towards the front of the vehicle. The member is designed to collapse downwards causing the bonnet latch to move downwards when subjected to longitudinal loads above 0.6 kN distributed thereupon by the overlying structure. As a consequence of the collapse, the bonnet latch may move away to provide a forgiving upper leg impact zone for the protection of a pedestrian in the event of a collision with the motor vehicle.
However, a bonnet latch structure according to EP 2 045 146 A1 has a geometrical shape which is adapted to be used in a certain soft-nose vehicle model. If used in another soft-nose vehicle model, having other geometrical dimensions, the configuration of the bonnet latch structure needs to be changed to fit to the dimensions of that other vehicle model. Furthermore, the configuration of the bonnet latch structure needs further changes in order to fit in a standard-nose vehicle model. Since the change of the configuration comprises changing the shape and the size of the front cross member, it will be quite costly since new tools are needed for manufacturing.